A solar cell that can be applied to a film like newspaper printing - that sounds tempting. Organic solar cells could make exactly that possible. They are not made from the expensive silicon of conventional solar modules, but from special plastics. Researchers at Chemnitz University of Technology have now discovered how these cells can still function well even if one of their most important components is reduced to a minimum.
Organic solar cells consist of two materials that generate electricity together. One emits electrons (donor), the other absorbs them (acceptor). It is this interaction that makes electricity generation possible. When light hits the cell, an electric current is generated. Until now, a balanced mixture of both substances was considered a prerequisite for good performance.
